


As long as stars above you

by Thorinoakentwig



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff without Plot, M/M, Marriage Proposal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-12 20:14:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,219
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29764986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thorinoakentwig/pseuds/Thorinoakentwig
Summary: On the most miserable Tuesday of his life, dizzy and nauseous to his stomach, Keith looks over at Shiro as he rings out a fresh wash cloth and carefully pushes Keith’s hair out of the way and thinks,this is the man I want to spend the rest of my life with. This is the man I’m going to marry.Or: Keith realizes he wants to marry Shiro on the most miserable Tuesday of his life and all that follows.
Relationships: Keith/Shiro (Voltron)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 56





	As long as stars above you

**Author's Note:**

> I don’t normally post straight up fluff but this is for my fave team leader’s birthday. 
> 
> It’s my first time writing a Keith POV fic and it was pretty fun!

Keith realizes he wants to marry Shiro on the most miserable Tuesday of his life.

Well, actually that’s not completely accurate because the Keith of age 16, of age 18, of 21 and beyond have all pondered in the quietest hidden depths of their heart marrying Shiro.

At first it had just been marrying someone like Shiro because way back when Keith had never even considered the possibility that he’d be worthy of it—Shiro was _Shiro_ shining, perfect and brilliant and Keith wasn’t just rough around the edges but made up of them entirely. Besides, for a long time Shiro had Adam and then Kerberos and there was no time for him to have anything or anyone else even if he wanted to.

The waiting had changed everything. It had forced him to realize he wasn’t feeling just a crush or admiration, that regular people didn’t care this much about a friend even if it was one of the few they had.

Then those secret little thoughts had turned from marrying someone like Shiro to the man himself. They didn’t happen often, Keith wouldn’t let himself dwell on them enough for them to become a regular occurrence, but sometimes late at night he’d look up at the sky, searching for the dim light of Pluto, and think about the future. In it, Shiro was always there.

For a long time Voltron and the Galra put a stop to everything.

No one could afford to think about dreams and could be’s when they had to spend every moment clawing for victory after victory.

Sometimes though the allure of Shiro would win if briefly. Shiro would laugh, the way he did when something was so funny he was close to crying, or he’d smile in just the right way and Keith couldn’t help but think maybe.

Even after the war and they got together those thoughts only happened rarely. The future was so far away and in the here and now Shiro was close enough to touch, close enough to kiss whenever he wanted.

But on the most miserable Tuesday of his life Keith is suddenly hit by that old longing.

There’s a bug going around the Atlas, it’s pretty minor—Shiro only gets a stuffy nose which even that can’t stop him from looking cute—until it hits the nonhumans.

Then it goes from minor to awful. Keith feels a headache coming on on Sunday night and thinks little of it but by early Monday morning he’s lying curled up on the bathroom floor, cursing out the world. Even just moving to get comfortable is unbearably painful and the world spins at every attempt he makes.

Despite having an important meeting the next day Shiro’s at his side every step of the way. He holds back his hair, rubs his back, makes him soup, and makes him soup one more time when he accidentally burns it the first time.

It's not much, not really but people don’t do things like this for Keith. Not since his dad anyway. Keith gets it, he’s not as prickly or standoffish as he used to be but no one will ever call him cuddly. But Shiro treats him the way he always has no matter if Keith grumbles or complains or acts petty because he absolutely hates being sick.

Even at the very beginning Shiro has always treated him like something important, something precious and worth it.

So on the most miserable Tuesday of his life, dizzy and nauseous to his stomach, Keith looks over at Shiro as he rings out a fresh wash cloth and carefully pushes Keith’s hair out of the way and thinks, _this is the man I want to spend the rest of my life with. This is the man I’m going to marry._

The thought lingers in his mind even as he slowly recovers thanks in no small part to Shiro’s tender patient care, but it’s not until a few months later that he decides to act on it.

His decision comes after hanging out with the rest of the paladins. They get together occasionally—watching movies, playing monsters and mana—and tonight it’s Allura’s turn to pick out a truly awful movie so Keith spends most of the time a little buzzed to make it bearable before a little buzzed somehow tilts into totally drunk. He’s not the only one—Lance has already been there for at least an hour and Pidge and Hunk are well on their way—but he’s the most noticeable, sitting curled up in Shiro’s lap like a man half his size.

The others poke and prod and tease him but Keith just sticks out his tongue and basks in Shiro’s laughter. The sound of it does more to warm him than any drink.

He’s long since lost track of the movie, not that there had been much of a plot to start with, but he’s happy enough to spend it staring up at Shiro and occasionally reaching up to touch him, tracing a stray freckle here or there.

Shiro glances down at him when he does and Keith reaches out to touch that too, laughing quietly at the upturn of his face.

It happens at one of these times. Keith trails his fingers on Shiro’s face, concentrating on being as gentle as he can and Shiro looks down at him, that ever present smile on his face.

It’s so pretty, he’s so so pretty and without any prompting Keith says, “I can’t wait to marry you.”

His saving grace is that he’s so drunk he says it in Galran, so slurred and sprawling no one can understand it and Shiro only laughs kindly at him, and says it’s time for bed. Keith is so drunk that he cheers as Shiro carries him away, audibly complimenting him on how strong he is.

In the morning Keith wakes up with a pounding hangover and Shiro in his boxers, making breakfast and feeding Kosmo scraps when he thinks Keith isn’t looking.

Keith sips on his coffee and decides it’s definitely time.

If he’s being honest Keith doesn’t know much about proposing. He’s seen the cheesy over the top events from movies and shows—dinner on the Eiffel Tower, proposing on the jumbotron at a baseball game, a hundred red roses—but it hasn’t been until very recently that he’s known anyone who’s actually proposed.

Three years ago Lance proposed to Allura and the year after Hunk proposed to Shay.The problem really, despite having two fresh examples is that they did it in completely different ways.

Lance was so on edge that he drug all the other paladins into planning which is probably a good thing considering his initial ideas were fucking insane. At one point Lance’s leading idea was a series of small blimps spelling out her name.

Hunk on the other hand, thought about it sincerely for two months and came up with a sweet idea all on his own. He made Shay dinner for their anniversary, all home cooked balmera cuisine that were her favorites and then proposed by putting a ring on the very top of their dessert.

Of the two Keith would prefer Hunk’s style, private and comfortable, but cooking is totally out of the question. While they’ve both improved by leaps and bounds he and Shiro will only ever be in the passable realm of cooking. Burning a meal every fifth dinner instead of every second.

Shiro deserves more than passable.

Shiro deserves the proposal of his dreams and Keith knows though no one would think it that Shiro’s dreams hold a romantic edge to them. Underneath the confident and cool veneer Shiro is made of mush. Even all these years later Shiro still beams like the sun when Keith so much as kisses him goodbye on the cheek or squeezes his hand when they pass by each other in the hallways.

He knows that Shiro’s first proposal wasn’t what could be described as romantic. Shiro and Adam had been dating for a long time and they’d grown comfortable as Shiro had called it. Getting engaged had seemed like the natural next step and it had been mutually decided without much fanfare or thought, without an actual proposal at all.

Keith wants to marry Shiro but more than that he wants to give Shiro everything he deserves even if it’s out of his comfort zone because Shiro is more than worth it.

The anniversary idea is good but they don’t really have an anniversary for when they started dating. The line between friendship and more happened so gradually, so naturally that neither of them really remember when it happened. One moment they were just friends and the next they’d started kissing and never stopped.

His next idea is to do it when they go hoverbiking. They’ve got a standing date every other Friday and it’s nice, one of the first things they really bonded over. But his luck is awful and it rains for three date Friday’s in a row. Shiro only smiles at him and pulls him back to bed, his arms much more tempting than the rain.

It’s pretty disheartening but Keith starts thinking maybe it’s a good thing after all. You’re supposed to look nice proposing right? And by the end of a trip they’re always covered head to toe in dirt and dust. Not that Keith doesn’t think Shiro doesn’t look cute that way because he does, the dirt adds a kind of boyish charm to Shiro’s already natural appeal. But still based on his limited proposal knowledge being fancy and clean is typically the norm.

His idea after that is a little calmer but still hopefully thoughtful. Sometimes when the weather is nice they’ll go out for dinner time hikes with Kosmo. If they get far enough away from the city then they can get a great view of the stars and it’s still incredibly endearing to Keith to see how excited Shiro gets as he points out various constellations and celestial bodies. So Keith gets dinner from one of their favorite diners—greasy giant burgers far superior than anything either of them could make—and packs a makeshift picnic basket. He hopes it comes as cute and charming verses corny.

Kosmo whines and pouts when Keith says he has to stay home but Keith refuses to budge. He can’t afford for Kosmo to steal a burger or chase a rabbit when he’s in the middle of pouring his heart out.

“I’m glad we could do this.” Shiro says happily as they make the trek up to one of their favorite lookout spots. It’s a ways away, past a long trail but on a rolling hill that’s perfect for viewing stars. “It’s been so busy lately.” There’s a diplomatic conference coming up that means all hands on deck for the Atlas crew, its captain included.

Keith smiles at him, heart pounding away in his chest. “I’m happy too.” Despite the nerves he is. More than being his boyfriend, Shiro’s also his best friend, his favorite person to be around and to spend time with.

It’s harder with both their careers to spend as much time together as they’d like but it just makes the moments they can more worth it.

They talk as they climb, easily familiar with the difficult terrain of sloping hills and thick winding tree roots. Keith tells Shiro about a new recruit who’d made the horrifying mistake of accidentally calling Kolivan dad. Shiro laughs so hard he’s doubled over as he explains a similar situation happening more than once with Iverson, including to a certain Matthew Holt.

“This is the best thing anyone’s ever told me.” Keith says, grinning in delight. The blackmail possibilities are truly endless.

Shiro laughs even harder, shaking his head. “No, no you can’t tell anyone.”

“Why would I hide the greatest moment of my life?”

“Keith.” He says, laughter turning squeaky and breathless the way Keith likes. It’s so unexpected coming from someone like Shiro but it’s so so cute. “He swore me to secrecy.”

Keith sticks out his tongue just because he knows it’ll make him laugh harder. “Sounds like a ‘you’ problem.” Still laughing, Shiro moves to nudge him and that’s when it happens. Out of the corner of his eye Keith can barely see Shiro start to fumble and flail as he trips over a thick tree root. Keith reacts on instinct, surging forward to catch him but Shiro’s already on the ground quietly cursing.

“Shiro!” He says dismayed. “Are you okay?”

“I think it’s fine.” Shiro says, reassuring but already his face looks paler and he doesn’t complain as Keith reaches down to help him up.

It seems okay at first as he gently pulls Shiro to his feet but the second he steps away Shiro wobbles, hissing out a pained breath.

“Fuck, I think you sprained it.” Getting a better look at it it definitely seems that way, already turning a nasty purple color and growing more swollen by the minute.

“C’mon let’s get back. You’re definitely going to need ice for that.” Shiro still seems hesitant and absently Keith wonders if he’s really going to power through another half a mile of hiking but then the grudging set of his jaw relaxes and Shiro just looks tired more than anything else.

Keith thinks about it for a second and then crouches down, patting his thighs when Shiro stares at him with wide eyes.

The tips of his ears are pink as Shiro clambers onto his back. Keith laughs not unkindly when he squeaks as he adjusts his grip, making it tighter so Shiro can’t fall.

Beneath his hands the weight of Shiro’s thighs are warm and the feeling of his breath against Keith’s neck is just as comfortable, as familiar.

“Sorry. I know you were looking forward to this.” His words tickle the hairs at the back of his neck and Keith tries not to squirm, instead focusing on how close Shiro sounds.

He tries to shrug but it’s a half hearted awkward gesture with the added weight to it. “It’s fine, we can just eat dinner at home and go stargazing on a different day.”

He can feel Shiro’s smile against his skin. “Not Sal’s though right?” Sal’s is the name of their favorite dinner and Keith scrunches up his brows.

“Why not Sal’s?” It seemed like he liked last time, Keith can still picture Shiro complaining about a stomachache from eating too much as Keith pointedly ate the rest of their fries, resolutely ignoring the puppy eyes staring at him.

The smile grows wider. “You dropped the picnic basket when you were trying to catch me.”

Keith opens his mouth to deny it and then the scene replays in his head, him reaching out to catch Shiro, the basket flying a few feet away and then Shiro grabbing it before climbing on his back. There’s no way the food survived that.

“Oh fuck.” He hopes the local squirrels or whatever appreciate his bacon burger.

Shiro laughs at him, affectionately squeezing once before his grip loosens.

It turns out Shiro has a pretty bad sprain and Keith adamantly throws out the idea of any more hiking proposals as he watches him hobble around for the next six weeks.

There’s a lull in his planning after that. Keith’s best ideas have ended in disaster and now with any possibilities he pictures Shiro falling in a hole, getting food spilled on him, or coming down with a cold. Not wholly rationally but Keith’s long since sacrificed his rationality for Shiro.

He debates asking his friends but dismisses it almost instantly. He can’t imagine they’ll know Shiro better than he does and at the same time the odds of them being able to keep it a secret before he can ask Shiro is concerningly, unacceptably thin.

His mom is sympathetic and excited but ultimately not as helpful as he thought. Apparently traditional Galra proposals involve the asker slaying a Vriksal and then preparing a meal out of the meat and a gift out of its massive antler set. His parents had never gotten around to it though his mom said his dad was excited to try and that once he’d made her a Buffalo burger that had tasted remarkably similar to cooked Vriksal meat.

Even if he could track down a Vriksal and if Shiro knew what it would mean, he’s not sure where they could put six sets of antlers taller than even Shiro in their quarters.

The perfect answer happens without thinking about it. It’s far away but they’ve been discussing their holiday plans. They spent last year with Krolia and Kolivan and the year before with the team. Somehow or another Shiro starts talking about going to Nara—seeing his grandparents' old house, visiting the few relatives that still live there—and it’s like a lightbulb clicks in his mind.

Keith knows how much Shiro loves Japan, how much he treasured visiting his family and the long summers spent there until his parents died and they had to come here instead.

Nara is perfect.

Nara is the start of Shiro’s endless patience, the beginnings of his wry sense of humor, and where he first fell in love with the stars.

How could anywhere else be good enough to match the man he’s come to love more than life itself?

It’s still a few months away but Keith buys the plane tickets and for the next week feels like he’s floating.

In the end if anything was going to ruin his planning it was going to be Keith himself. Not nature or misfortune or even his friends. Perhaps some part of him has always known this and that’s why he’s been so worried. Even as he beams over the trip to Nara that small part of him is still waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Eventually, inevitably it does.

They’ve got a free weekend tonight—a rarity for them both to have the entire thing and not a stray here or there—and for this first day they’re more than content to just hang out in each other’s presence.

Keith’s reading an awful pulpy book Matt recommended last time he was in town. It’s allegedly a mystery novel but Keith’s more concerned by all the outright inaccuracies. As far as he knows the Krellians do not use their antennae like that.

Shiro’s been in the bathroom for a while. His therapist has been advocating trying more relaxing, self care oriented activities and Allura has enthusiastically volunteered herself to help. Their latest endeavor is trying different kinds of skin care products. Keith thinks Shiro mentioned something about this one bubbling but it’s hard to keep track when they go off on a tangent like that. He doesn’t really see a difference from one gel to the next cream but Allura’s having fun exploring earth items and Shiro’s admitted he finds it relaxing so it doesn’t matter much. If it made Shiro happy he’d buy every moisturizer they saw.

“Finally finished!” Shiro announces cheerfully as he settles down on the couch next to him, tucking his feet beneath Keith’s own despite his complaints because Shiro is a gremlin with naturally cold feet who hates wearing socks and even Keith’s love can only go so far.

Keith glances over and then laughs, setting down his book. “Finished huh?”

Shiro smiles at him, a bright pink clay mask hiding most of his features from view. “Mostly finished.” He amends, and his smile widens just enough that the edges of his mask start to crack just a bit.

His floof is carefully pinned up from his face, in one of those giant claw clips and a stray hair here or there lingers, threatening to fall onto his mask at the slightest move. He’s in his favorite pajamas, a threadbare shirt with an animal on it that might have once been a cat but has faded into only the impression of a round face and big eyes and well worn pants that have become incredibly soft by time and age.

Keith loves all Shiros, every version of him precious and special, but this one is his favorite. This Shiro who feels comfortable enough to be soft and vulnerable, who can finally let himself relax without putting the weight of the world on his shoulders.

This Shiro smiles at him again with that sweet smile and without thinking Keith says, “Marry me.”

He only realizes he’s said anything at all when Shiro’s eyes widen, mouth dropping open slightly.

“This doesn’t count.” Keith blurts out because he’s fucking incapable of stopping himself.

Shiro laughs startled, and oh fuck are those tears he definitely never accounted for Shiro crying. Keith continues on because he’s ill prepared for tears from anyone but especially Shiro.

“It doesn’t count okay? There’s a plan and I demand a redo. This—it’s not. This isn’t part of the plan.” Keith trails off, opens his mouth to speak but all the words in the world are suddenly gone and then closes it again. In the end he can only stare at Shiro and project _please don’t cry I love you so much oh my god don’t cry_ thoughts at him in the hopes that maybe there’s some latent Galra telepathy thing his mom forgot to tell him about.

Shiro laughs again and while there are tears at the corner of his eyes Keith’s astonished to realize he’s also smiling, the start of what looks like a pretty brilliant one actually.

“So there’s a plan?” Shiro asks, and wow he’s never heard Shiro sound like that before, but before he can ponder on it Shiro’s reaching out to grab his hands, settling him back to earth.

“There is a plan.” Keith allows and that silver quick smile widens.

“Can I hear about the plan?”

Keith grumbles and the urge to hide in Shiro’s chest is for some unknown reason becoming so much stronger but maybe Shiro’s got a latent telepathic ability because strong but gentle fingers cup his chin and carefully tilt his face up until Keith can’t help but stare at his— _fiancé_? boyfriend? Undecided titled life partner?—instead.

“Please?”

Keith sighs and fuck it, there’s not much point in secrecy anymore. “It was going to happen for Christmas. I got us tickets to Nara, I made reservations at that restaurant your family always went to when you’d visit.”

“At dinner then?” Shiro’s practically vibrating in place, curiosity and more rolling off him in waves.

He shakes his head. “After. there’s still that park nearby the one with the fountain you tried to swim in as a kid. I thought it’s private but still—”

“Perfect.” Shiro says softly and Keith jerks out a nod.

“So as you can now see there is a plan and we should just ignore this and on our trip we can both act really surprised.”

Shiro smiles again but then shakes his head. “Hmm tempting but I’m unfortunately going to have to go with no.”

“Shiro.” He complains.

The hand on his chin shifts until it’s cupping his cheek, the metal cool against his too hot skin. Shiro’s eyes are so kind as he looks back at him, his fingers just as soft as they trace over his skin, dragging back and forth until Keith’s relaxed again before he’s realized it.

“Your plan was perfect.” Shiro confirms, a hint of teasing in his voice. “More than but I don’t want perfect if it means I can call you mine that much sooner.”

“Shiro.” He says again.

“Keith.” And there’s definitely more than a hint of teasing this time but before Keith can voice his protests Shiro’s mouth meets his own, swallowing up every denial he has in a kiss.

Shiro is unbearably, charmingly smug when they finally have to pull away and Keith can’t help somewhat petulantly point out. “You know you didn’t even say yes.”

If possible he looks even softer and Keith realizes he’s made a fatal miscalculation as Shiro sincerely says, “Yes. It could never be anything but yes.”

He can actually feel his face burst into flames, the temperature difference astounding and Shiro laughs at him again and pulls him into an embrace, those strong arms making a cage he’d never want to escape from.

“I’m still taking you to the fountain when we’re in Nara.” He says into Shiro’s neck. Shiro’s laughter sends vibrations through him and he hopes Shiro can feel his own smile, his joy stretching it out wider than he thought possible.

“Of course baby.” Shiro’s hands trail through his hair, scratching lightly at his neck until he’s less of a man and a pile of content on top of him. “I’d expect nothing less.”

Keith does in fact take Shiro to dinner and the fountain when they’re in Nara. Even with all the surprise gone it’s worth it for Shiro’s smile, bright enough to outshine the moon above them.

For not the first time and not even close to the last Keith looks at him and thinks, _this is the man I’m going to spend the rest of my life with. This is the man I’m going to marry._

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! <3  
> You can find me at Twitter & Tumblr @: Thorinoakentwig


End file.
